Tabla de contenidos para November/December 2018 en EatingWell

WHY AGE GRACEFULLY, WHEN YOU CAN AGE SUCCESSFULLY? Our bodies can be younger or older than our actual age depending upon diet, lifestyle choices and physical activity. This is called biological age, which could be different than the age on your driver’s license, which is called chronological age. A recent study of 900 adults who were tracked for 12 years, from ages 26-38, showed that people who were aging faster, meaning that their biological age was higher than their chronological age, were not as healthy or physically fit. This group was also more likely to show cognitive decline and was at a greater risk for age-related health conditions. Research demonstrates that the keys to aging successfully are a combination of exercising regularly, keeping engaged with life, and maintaining a…

A LIGHTER SHADE OF WHEAT If you think that whole-wheat products are too bitter, look for ones with white whole-wheat. Made from a special variety, it’s light in color and flavor but has the same nutritional properties as regular whole-wheat flour. BOBBING FOR BERRIES When it’s time to harvest cranberries, most farmers flood their bogs with water, then use a special machine to loosen the berries from the plants. A small pocket of air inside each berry makes it float to the surface for easy collection. GO FOR THE GOLD Prepared mustard often gets a brighter hue from sunny turmeric—a spice harvested from the rhizomes (tuberous roots) of Curcuma longa, a flowering plant of Southeast Asia. Pretzel-Crusted Chicken Nuggets With Cranberry-Mustard Sauce ACTIVE: 40 min TOTAL: 40 min Make…

Dana St. Pierre’s foray into sipping vinegars started with his Mutti (that’s “Grandma” in German)—a stalwart tonic maker and farmer in Berkshire County, Massachusetts. Battling colds in the brutal New England winters, Mutti turned to home remedies from her “make it yourself” upbringing and passed them on to her kids and grandkids. “She’d feed me spoonfuls of honey steeped with garlic and onions,” remembers St. Pierre. “It wasn’t enjoyable, but it was powerful; I always wished it were both.” So he made it his mission to accomplish that feat. After years of experimenting, he finally hit on a winning recipe with citrus, onions, garlic, ginger, horseradish, habaneros, turmeric, black pepper and another of Mutti’s favorite tonic ingredients: apple-cider vinegar. In 2010, St. Pierre and his wife, Amy Huebner, made…

When Nikhil Arora and Alejandro Velez head to a holiday party, they forgo the bottle of wine in favor of a more unique hostess gift. The Bay Area co-founders of Back to the Roots, an indoor gardening kit company, put a bow on one of their Organic Mushroom Farms ($20, backtotheroots.com). “It’s more than a gift, it’s an experience!” Arora says. And it’s an experience that goes beyond just the recipient: snap a picture of your shrooms, share it on social media with the hashtag #GrowOneGiveOne, and the company will donate a kit to the elementary school classroom of your choice. This mushroom farm is perfect for impatient gardeners of any age: you reap a harvest of organic pearl oyster mushrooms in about 12 days. Plus, the fungi are…

ENTER FOR THE CHANCE TO WIN $1,000+ a prize pack of goodies from our partners. Visit FoodGroupPromo.com to enter. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. Subject to Official Rules available at FoodGroupPromo.com. The Celebrate the Season Sweepstakes begins at 12:01 a.m. EST on 10/12/18 and ends at 11:59 p.m. EST on 01/09/19. Open to legal residents of the 50 United States, and the District of Columbia, 21 years or older. Void where prohibited. Sponsor: Meredith Corporation.…

ADAPTED BY THE EATINGWELL TEST KITCHEN How did you get involved with food and helping people? In 1980, I was managing nightclubs in Washington, D.C., and like many people I was concerned with the growing homelessness crisis. During the holidays I volunteered to serve food to people living on the streets. It was an eye-opening experience because most charitable groups were buying food. I knew our industry threw away a ton of food. I thought, “What would happen if I brought all that wasted food to a central kitchen to make into meals for those in need?” And, “What if we also made it a cooking school to teach those same people an employable skill while we made the meals?” They could be part of the solution versus endless…

My mom grew up in Chieti, a hilltop city near Italy’s Adriatic coast. She came to the U.S. in the 1950s and met my Italian-American dad on a blind date. In their suburban New Jersey kitchen, Mom re-created the recipes and flavors of Abruzzo, her native region: homemade spaghetti alla chitarra with ragù on Sundays, roast lamb on Easter and a multicourse seafood feast for Christmas Eve, called La Vigilia in reference to the vigil, or wait, for the birth of Jesus. We looked forward to La Vigilia more than any other meal of the year. The custom of eating fish for Christmas Eve evolved from an early Christian practice of fasting during certain holy days. In Italy, many families broke the day-long fast with a large fish dinner…

The first thing clients noticed upon entering Shawn Askinosie’s law office back in 2005 was the aroma. “I housed my little chocolate-making operation in the kitchen right behind the reception area, and the smell of chocolate would hit you right when you walked through the front door,” he says. At the time, Askinosie was a criminal defense attorney with two decades of experience working on high-profile cases—murders, drugs, robberies. But his passion for the work had waned and chocolate-making—which had started out as a hobby—was increasingly becoming his calling. “I would be in a drug case sentencing in the morning and then, in the afternoon, I’d go back to the office and make chocolate,” he recalls. The setup was modest: a popcorn popper set on a hot plate served…

1 VEGGIE-TAINING Get inspired by our stunning seasonal vegetable sides, mains and apps, like Roasted Vegetable Antipasto (left). EatingWell.com/veggietaining 2 GIFT GUIDES It’s always more fun to give than to get! Scroll through our curated lists to find the perfect presents for food lovers. EatingWell.com/giftguide 3 COOKIE SWAPS If you enjoy a cookie swap as much as we do (our office holds one yearly), go here for 250-plus sweet recipes. EatingWell.com/cookieswap WE QUIZ YOU What’s your favorite EatingWell Thanksgiving recipe? Gingered Cranberry-Raspberry Relish Yum!!! —mpfish26 Pumpkin Tart with Pecan-Shortbread Crust For sure!—devonob Pear, Prosciutto & Hazelnut Stuffing —vrjonsie Gluten-Free Green Bean Casserole —colleendkraus Meringue-Topped Sweet Potato Casserole Sweet potato fluff. —fukesandrea Find them all at EatingWell.com/Thanksgiving…

I’ve been an avid subscriber of numerous cooking magazines over the years, but had never heard of EatingWell until I came across an issue at my doctor’s office. The Middle Eastern theme immediately drew me in because I love it when food magazines focus on cuisine that isn’t the mainstream. I was so pleased to see the issue dedicated to different cuisines and countries ranging from Turkey to Iran to Syria and beyond. Thank you for bringing to light the delectable world of Mideast fare. You have a new subscriber! ■ Savita Ubhayakar, Berkeley, CA Best Issue Ever The Sept/Oct issue is just incredible. I can almost smell the spices as I turn the pages. Middle Eastern cuisine is great any time of year and even more so with…

1 Spiced Crackers Whisk 3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, 1½ tsp. each paprika and dried oregano and a pinch of salt in a large bowl. Add 3 cups (about 4 oz.) whole-grain crackers and toss to coat. Spread on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake at 300°F for 10 minutes. Cool on the pan for 10 minutes. SERVES 8: ¼ cup each 2 Savory Date & Pistachio Bites Combine 2 cups pitted dates, 1 cup each unsalted shelled pistachios and golden raisins, 1 tsp. ground fennel and ¼ tsp. ground pepper in a food processor; process until finely chopped. Form into about 32 balls, using about 1 Tbsp. each. SERVES 32: 1 ball each 3 Marinated White Beans Rinse one 15-oz. can white beans. Combine in a small saucepan with…

GATHER ‘ROUND FOR GLUTEN-FREE DELICIOUSNESS Need a tasty treat for your holiday soirée? Crunchmaster® crackers are simply and thoughtfully crafted with pure California rice, seeds and other better-for-you ingredients. They pack the perfect crunch and won’t crumble when paired with everyone’s favorite toppings. Crunchmaster.com EATINGWELL® FROZEN ENTRÉES Everything you’d expect from EatingWell®: from classic comfort food to world flavors, frozen entrées with lots of vegetables, whole grains and all natural chicken, beef and pork. EatingWell.com/FrozenFresh FEEL SAFE AND SOUND WITH GEICO. Be sure to protect what you call home with homeowners or renters insurance. The GEICO Insurance Agency can help you get the affordable coverage you need and the peace of mind you desire. Get a free quote today. Geico.com Disclaimer: Homeowners, renters and condo coverages are written through…

Out-Climb Your Worry Rock climbing helped people reduce anxiety related to phobias and lower their depression scores, German researchers found. Wall-scaling promotes skills useful for bolstering mental health, like trusting yourself and others and being present in the moment. But any physical activity can be beneficial. Research published in Psychiatry Research found that exercise in general has benefits on par with common anti-anxiety medications—perhaps because physical activity increases a protein in the brain (called BDNF) that helps you learn that something you initially thought was dangerous really isn’t. Aim for at least 2½ hours a week of moderate-intensity exercise, like brisk walking. Put Worry to Bed Rumination, a hallmark of anxiety, may stem from insufficient sleep. Binghamton University researchers asked people prone to this type of thinking to look…

ACV BOOSTS METABOLISM Sipping apple-cider vinegar (aka ACV) may improve measures of metabolic health—helping regulate blood sugar and reduce LDL cholesterol and, in some cases, aiding weight loss. There’s more animal than human research, but results are encouraging. ACV KILLS GERMS In lab tests, it kills pathogens including E. coli. But in your body? Too soon to say. While acids kill germs, stomach acid is more potent than ACV. More than just acidity may be at play, however: preliminary research suggests that ACV’s polyphenols could improve immunity. ACV IMPROVES DIGESTION Anecdotal evidence? Galore! Science? We found squat. Cleveland Clinic gastroenterologist Scott Gabbard, M.D., says it may be a placebo effect: “In digestion studies, placebos help patients 30-40% of the time.” ACV IS A PROBIOTIC The murky “mother” at the…

For starters, keep going for walks and playing outside with your pup. Winter gives you some unique opportunities: try setting up a backyard scavenger hunt by hiding kibble or toys in the snow or playing fetch with snowballs. If you find it hard to muster the motivation to bundle up, remember that you’re getting the benefit too. Eighty percent of Americans don’t get enough physical activity, and exercising with your furry friend is a fun way to meet your health goals. Research also shows that regularly walking your dog can lower stress levels, keep weight in check and increase your sense of community. Of course, keep safety in mind: be sure to use pet-safe products to melt snow and ice that won’t hurt your dog’s paws and get pad-protecting…

This aromatic, herbal, bittersweet liqueur is traditionally served as a digestif after meals in Italy. Flavored with an array of spices, roots, peels and barks, amari are naturally complex. They can be syrupy-sweet (some have sugar added), bracingly minty or tongue-curlingly bitter—the word amaro is literally Italian for “bitter,” after all. Drink it as they do in Italy—straight up or over a cube of ice, adorned with a curl of lemon or orange peel. For a hot-toddy-like drink, mix equal parts amaro and hot water, and garnish with an orange slice. TWO TO TRY Amaro Montenegro ($28/750 mL): A light, sweet amaro with a mild vanilla note. Amaro Nonino ($40/750 mL): This flavorful amaro balances flavors of orange peel, caramel and spice.…

■ The journey starts with tiny orchidlike flowers that bloom on tall, spindly trees growing in a thin belt 10 to 20 degrees north and south of the Equator. Each tree produces up to 100,000 flowers a year. ■ Midges, a type of small biting fly, pollinate between 1 and 5 percent of the pink and white blossoms. ■ Roughly 2 percent of pollinated flowers produce pods—around 20 to 30 per tree—which ripen five to six months later. After harvesting, the fruits are cut open with machetes and the pulpy cacao seeds are scooped out. ■ The seeds are then fermented in wooden boxes or under banana leaves, where bacteria and yeast cause the thin layer of pulp to disintegrate. This microbial activity is key to flavor development, where…

INGREDIENTS In the U.S., a bar has to contain at least 10 percent cocoa mass to be called chocolate; otherwise, it’s considered a confection or candy. Conventional bars typically contain sugar, milk (in the form of powder), additional fat (extra cocoa butter or other oils) and an emulsifier like soy lecithin. Specialty bars may have as few as one or two ingredients (cocoa, sugar), allowing you to more fully experience the unique flavors in the chocolate. % CACAO This tells you the amount of cocoa (both solids and fat) in the chocolate. As the percentage of cocoa increases—it can range from 10 all the way to 100 percent—the amount of sugar decreases. USDA ORGANIC If you want chocolate made with ingredients grown without synthetic pesticides and fertilizers, then…

NUMBERS TO LOOK FOR Sodium: <180mg Fiber: >3g Sugar: <2g Eye the Serving Size Most boxed crackers have a serving size of about 30 grams—which can mean you get anywhere from one to 40 crackers, depending on how big they are. But we did find some as low as 11 grams. And a smaller portion like this may trick you into thinking you’re choosing a low-calorie or low-sodium option, but only because you’re getting less food. Since most crackers don’t break the calorie bank—all our picks are under 140—you have room to put something yummy on them. (Most cheeses have around 100 calories per ounce, and we recommend keeping apps to 250 calories.) Watch Sodium & Sugar We spotted some varieties as high as 250 mg of sodium per…

+ GOBBLE, GOBBLE Get our best turkey recipes at eatingwell.com/turkey…

Every year, the EatingWell Test Kitchen cooks at least half a dozen birds for our holiday issue—and I learn something new every time. Like the year a turkey caught on fire and blew open an oven. (The recipe called for an entire bottle of booze in the bottom of the roasting pan. Drippings from the bird ignited the alcohol and BOOM!) So, I learned: don’t mix birds and booze?… inside the oven. Some other tips: Buy ½ to 1 pound of meat per person. A healthy portion of meat is 3 ounces cooked, which works out to ½ pound of raw, bone-in turkey per serving. On page 78, we have a 12- to 14-pound bird, which yields 24 (3-oz.) servings. Calculate what you need based on the number of…

Taylor Keen walks between rows of rustling corn beneath arching branches of a silver maple tree. Traffic hums in the background. He’s in Julia Feder and Shaun Warkentin’s garden in Omaha, Nebraska. Keen, a university professor, peels back the husk of an ear of Omaha Rainbow Flint corn, revealing a cobbled pathway of blue, lavender and ivory kernels. “Most Americans only know one type of corn, and that’s sweet corn,” Keen says. “They’ve been told Indian corn is inedible. That’s not true.” This corn is sacred to Native Americans, but it, along with other Native crops, are at risk of extinction. WHAT HE DID In 2014, Keen, who’s a citizen of both the Omaha and Cherokee nations, founded Sacred Seed. The organization encourages volunteer “seed ambassadors”—urban farmers and home…

Penelope Wall Senior Digital Editor What are your favorite food gifts to make? There are so many sweet treats around this time of year, so I like to make savory gifts like dried bean soup mixes or tea blends with herbs from my garden (these are both great teacher gifts too). This year, I’m excited to gift homemade body scrubs in pretty jars. Visit EatingWell.com/DIYspa to get all of my favorite recipes. Jim Romanoff Food Editor Fun ideas for turkey leftovers? My parents, who are in their 90s and still cook, are my inspiration. My mom is from Pittsburgh and makes a Devonshire: a hometown favorite open-face turkey sandwich smothered in cheese sauce. And my dad taught me to layer, cover and bake almost any leftover meat with potatoes,…

Slow-Cooker Balsamic Short Ribs ACTIVE: 30 min TOTAL: 4½-8½ hrs EQUIPMENT: 6-qt. or larger slow cooker Now here’s a slow-cooker recipe you can serve to company—even on a holiday. A bold Italian red that has a touch of sweetness (think amarone or brunello) is perfect alongside. 6 bone-in beef short ribs (about 3¼ pounds)¾ teaspoon salt, divided½ teaspoon ground pepper2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided1 medium onion, sliced2 tablespoons tomato paste2 cloves garlic, chopped1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme1 cup balsamic vinegar½ cup low-sodium beef broth2 tablespoons cornstarch¼ cup waterChopped fresh parsley (optional) 1. Sprinkle ribs with ½ teaspoon salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ribs and cook until browned on all sides, about 5 minutes total. Transfer to a…

Chia seeds are packed with fiber, a nutrient Americans often fall short on. Just 2 tablespoons provides a whopping 9 grams of fiber. Fruity Chia Pudding ACTIVE: 5 min TOTAL: 8 hrs 5 min TO MAKE AHEAD: Refrigerate pudding (Step 1) for up to 3 days. Mixed with a fruity base and refrigerated, chia seeds expand to form a thick, creamy texture similar to tapioca. Pudding for breakfast? We’re in. 1¾ cups blackberries, raspberries and/or diced mango (fresh or frozen), divided1 cup unsweetened almond milk or milk of choice¼ cup chia seeds1 tablespoon pure maple syrup¾ teaspoon vanilla extract½ cup whole-milk plain Greek yogurt¼ cup granola 1. Puree 1¼ cups fruit and milk in a blender or food processor until smooth. Scrape into a medium bowl; mix in chia,…

Derived from the same plant as marijuana and hemp, cannabidiol oil (aka CBD oil, sold in drops, supplements and added to food) is touted for its agita-quelling powers, without the high. Much of the supporting evidence comes from animal studies, but there’s some promising human research too. One small study found that people with social anxiety experienced fewer symptoms, including cognitive impairment and negative self-talk, when they took a CBD supplement before speaking in public. Research suggests CBD increases anandamide, a feel-good brain chemical. It may also influence the release of neurotransmitters that control mood and behavior, and change blood flow to brain regions linked to fear and anxiety. Should you try it? Experts aren’t ready to recommend it—yet. “Over-the-counter products may not be the right dose, might interact…

PICK of the SEASON TRADITIONS CHANGE, OUR QUALITY HASN’T. A kitchen staple for generations, Reynolds Wrap® is the quality product you can trust to guide you through every cooking adventure. Whether it’s helping save time prepping food in advance, relying on our durability to create a delicious sheet pan meal, or simply lining bakeware for easy cleanup, Reynolds Wrap® helps in the kitchen so you can spend quality time connecting with friends and family. Here’s a quick guide to help you find the right foil for the job at hand: • A versatile must have, Reynolds Wrap® Aluminum Foil is perfect for wrapping foods to go, making packets for oven cooking, and lining pans for dinners. • With Non-Stick Foil, line any pan you would typically spray to bake…

Food is love. It’s a sentiment shared across classes and cultures—and highlighted during the holidays. But not everyone is equally well-fed: approximately 1 in 8 Americans—including 13 million children—experience food insecurity annually, meaning they lack consistent access to adequate amounts of food. To compound the issue, these families are also more likely to have unhealthy diets. Why do hunger and unhealthy food go hand in hand? A recent study has uncovered a novel perspective. The Problem With “Fixing” Food Deserts Experts often say hunger and poor diet are connected because low-income neighborhoods can lack access to fresh fruits and vegetables—they’re food deserts. This theory has fueled policies and interventions that attempt to bring more fresh food into these neighborhoods. But the results have been so-so. A study from the…

BEAUREGARD These widely popular plump, red-skinned sweet potatoes have an almost-fluorescent orange flesh that’s subtly earthy and mildly sweet. COVINGTON This orange variety is intensely sweet with vanilla undertones. Their perfuminess is perfect for enhancing desserts. STOKES PURPLE Developed in Stokes County, North Carolina, this potato rocks a lightly sweet, purple flesh. It’s also dry and dense, so don’t be surprised if this typically large variety takes a little longer to cook. O’HENRY The ivory-toned flesh of this tuber is smooth and dense with a nuanced honey-nut flavor. It comes out super-fluffy no matter how you cook it. JAPANESE The white flesh of these red-skinned sweet potatoes turns golden when cooked, tastes super-sweet and stays quite firm. JEWEL For some reason, these are called yams more often than others.…

Improves Heart Health Research in the American Heart Journal found that three to six 1-ounce servings of chocolate a week reduces the risk of heart failure by 18 percent. And another study published in BMJ suggests the treat may help prevent atrial fibrillation (or a-fib), a condition characterized by irregular heartbeat. People eating two to six servings a week had a 20 percent lower risk of developing a-fib compared to those consuming it less than once a month. Researchers believe cocoa’s antioxidant properties and magnesium content may help improve blood vessel function, reduce inflammation and regulate platelet formation—factors that contribute to a healthy heartbeat. Lowers Blood Pressure Speaking of your heart, among people with hypertension, daily chocolate consumption helps lower systolic blood pressure (the top number of the reading)…

Kashi 7 Grain Sea Salt Meet your ultimate crowd-pleaser: this versatile cracker has a subtle, wheaty taste and great crunch. Pair it with: Any cheese. We liked havarti. Triscuit Thin Crisps Original Classic Triscuit taste, but half as thick for the perfect cracker-to-topping ratio. Pair it with: Hard cheeses, like Cheddar. Finn Crisp Original Thin and crunchy with a sourdough bite, this cracker has the most fiber of our picks. A whopping 6 grams! Pair it with: Tangy cheeses, like goat. Ryvita Sesame Rye Crispbread This graham-cracker-size pick is big enough for lunch. (Open-face sammies, anyone?) Pair it with: Blue cheese or other funky favorites. Crunchmaster Multi-Grain Sea Salt Gluten-free and deliciously salty with a touch of buttery sweetness, this cracker begs for something mellow. Pair…

Shrimp with heads (p.100) can be hard to find, but they add a depth of flavor to dishes. Look for them in ethnic markets or large supermarkets. (If you can’t find them, substitute uncooked shell-on shrimp.) For help choosing sustainable wild or farmed shrimp, go to seafoodwatch.org. Pandoro cake (p.103) is a tall, star-shaped Christmas bread with origins in Verona, Italy. It has an airy texture and sweet flavor. Traditionally, Italians give these cakes to symbolize luck and prosperity in the new year. Find them at Italian and gourmet shops or online at supermarketitaly.com. Pecan wood chips (p.92) produce a subtle, sweetish smoke that pairs well with poultry, seafood and vegetables. You can find them sold by the bag at most hardware stores, home improvement stores and supermarkets. If…